NFL SUPER BOWL 50 to Generate Billions in Wagers

The American Gaming Association released its predictions on 2016 Super Bowl 50 betting revealed an expected $4.2 billion in wagers and yet it's considered illegal across the US except for four states. This year will see the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers go head to head and according the stats nearly 100 percent of the $4.2 billion in bets will be made illegally, which is a drastically different that the $115 million in legal wagers for the New England Patriots-Seattle Seahawks game last year. "As Americans celebrate a milestone Super Bowl, they'll also bet a record amount on the Big Game," said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA. "Just like football, sports betting has never been more popular than it is today. The casino gaming industry is leading the conversation around a new approach to sports betting that enhances consumer protections, strengthens the integrity of games and recognizes fans' desire for greater engagement with sports." The AGA is working toward finding an alternative to the current law governing sports betting in the US if one exists. In terms of daily fantasy sports betting, California Assemblyman Adam Gray's bill AB1437 made it through the Assembly Appropriations Committee and was approved by the Assembly Wednesday on a vote of 62-1. The Internet Fantasy Sports Games Protection Act, which will legalized intrastate DFS betting, will now head for Senate approval. Naturally the bill has the support of leading DFS operators and has entered into partnership deals with DraftKings and FanDuel. “AB 1437 is a consumer protection bill for the hundreds of thousands of Californians who play daily fantasy sports,” said Assemblyman Gray regarding the bill. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association said, “Fantasy sports helps create more sports fans and more deeply engaged fans. The fans' engagement allows them to root for teams and athletes in new ways and increases viewership across multiple platforms, which drives revenue for teams and leagues.” Assemblyman Marc Levine was once again the sole dissenting vote. California's Attorney General, Kamala Harris, has not commented on the legality of DFS.